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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 Review

My first digital camera was an Olympus. It was a simple pocket camera with basic features. However that little thing took, and still takes phenomenal pictures. It is also extremely durable to boot!

But as with all things, technology has left my old pocket cam in the dust in the way of features. I have been looking for a good replacement for it for some time now. I didn't want to step into the realm of the Digital SLR's because they take up too much space, and let's face it, you have to be very careful with them, a feat that is just not possible in enjoying the outdoors sometimes!

Finally I found a camera with the mantra of "accidents happen!" Last Summer I stumbled across the Stylus Tough 8010 from Olympus. The features seemed to be right up my alley:

WATERPROOF

A revolutionary system of waterproof seals and gaskets keeps water out so you can take pictures as deep as 33 feet underwater.

SHOCKPROOF

Durable metal body with an innovative shock-absorbing technology protects it from drops of up to 6.6 feet.

FREEZEPROOF

It's Freezeproof down to 14°F/-10°C. Perfect for skiing, snowboarding, sledding and other winter fun, this camera is winterized to perform at below-freezing temperatures.

CRUSHPROOF

With its rugged body and reinforced LCD, the STYLUS TOUGH-8010 is designed to withstand up to 220 pounds of pressure so your camera and images are always protected.

(the above list was taken from the Olympus description at their website)

It also features 14 megapixel shots and a 5x wide-angle optical zoom. I could go on for days about the features that this camera boasts, but in the interest of time I will just list a few of my favorites:

Durability:

I have done quite the number on this camera. My first test was a trip to Maine where the majority of the shots taken were done so with this camera. It spent the night with me in the tent the whole trip, survived nasty rain storms of the East Coast, a 10' drop onto rocks while hiking, and random other mishaps. Through it all it continued to provide quality images.

I have also use it in many snowy condition hikes recently. While on a winter hike at Old Baldy I threw it, with much gusto, into a sand packed snowbank while descending a rather steep section. Though I had to dig through the bank to find this thing it emerged flawless and took crisp shots the rest of the day.

The Panorama Feature

The 8010 comes with a few options to create panorama images; with the software that comes with the camera, and also on the camera itself. I enjoy being able to make brilliant panorama images without the hassle, or necessary skill of complex photo-editing programs.

No need to fumble through menus to make video. With the 8010 all you need to do is press the record button and you are shootin' in HD my friend!

Concerns:

The firmware that they come with is very slow, and mildly cumbersome. Getting used to it takes a bit of patience.

However, once you update the firmware this thing is ready to go, the 1.1 update turns this into a point and shoot that you can just whip out and snap away with!

Overall I really enjoy this camera. The images are very high quality and the durability protects against the rigors that I will put it through. Though the camera works underwater I am going to pick up the underwater housing this summer so that I can operate it 100% worry free on some dives in Lake Michigan. Look for those shots to come!

I ordered mine from amazon, through Cameta Camera. We have ordered many things from them in the past and they are great to work with. I have attached a link to the package that I bought. Definitely try to get it as a package deal.

If you have any questions about this please feel free to ask them, I am happy to answer!